Switch



Sept. 3, 1940. J. Q. cuMMxNGs SWITCH Filed Hay l0, 1938 In ventorPatented Sept. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWI'IVCH John QuentinCummings, Albany, N. Y.

Application May 10, 1938, Serial No. 207,129

1 Claim.

This invention appertains to new and useful improvements in switchdevices mainly intended for actuating signal means of vehicles, thegeneral object of the invention being to provide a switch deviceactuated by the foot of the driver, with means for quickly closing anelectric circuit when the device is pressed upon by the foot, with meansfor delaying opening of the circuit when the device is released frompressure by the foot.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an apparatus ofthe character stated which will' be of simple construction and notsusceptible to the ready development of defects.

These and various other important objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent to the reader of the followingspecication.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the switch.

Figure 2 is a sectional View on the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is `a cross sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of one of the gears.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the insulating spacer disk.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals designate like parts, itcan be seen in Figure' 1 the switch generally referred to by numeral I0consists of a box structure 21 from one wall 28 of which extends thestub shaft 29 which has a reduced portion 30 defining the shoulder 3|against which abuts the gear 32. This gear has a section of teeth 33adapted to mesh with the rack 34 at the lower end of the verticallymovable shaft 35. The gear 32 is struck out to provide the laterallydisposed tongues 36 which are disposed into the openings 31 of the disk38 of insulation which is located on the reduced portion 30 of the shaft29.

Numeral 38 represents the contactor which has .the cut out portions 40to avoid the tongues 36 of the gear 32. The remaining portions of thecontactor 39 are stamped to provide tongues 4| which are disposed intothe openings 42 of the aforementioned disk 38. Thus the contacf tor isadequately insulated from the. gear 32.

The contactor 39 carries a pair of arms 43-44 for riding engagement withthe arcuate-shaped contacts and'46, respectively, one of which isconnected to a battery by the conductor 41 and the other to a signal bya conductor 48.

Rising from the top of the box 21 is the barrel 49 over the upper end ofwhich is slidably (Cl. 20D-156) disposed the tubular cap 50 to the topof which the shaft 35 is secured as at 5|.

A partition 52 is provided in the upper portion of the barrel 49 and hasa packing gland 53 therein through which the shaft 35 is slidable. Acoiled compressible spring 54 is interposed between the partition 52 andthe top of the cap 50 for normally holding the cap 50 in elevatedposition.

A plunger plate 55 is carried by the shaft 35 and has openings 56 andalso ladditional openings 51 covered by swingable flaps 58. Obviously onthe down stroke of the cap 50 fluid in the chamber 59 will pass upwardlythrough all of the openings 56 and 51. The -contactor 39 will be rotatedso as to bridge the contacts 45-46 and result in the energization of thesignal. However, when the operator lifts his foot from the cap 5B andthe spring 54 begins to retrieve the shaft 35 for swinging the contactorto switch open position, the action will be slow in that fluid will onlybe able to pass through the two f openings 56 and not through theopenings 51 covered by the flaps 58. Thus the signal will remain activefor a substantial period of time, that is, suflicient time to executethe turn desired by the operator.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specificterms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, sizeand materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as claimed hereinafter. l

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A switch structure of the class described comprising a casing, astationary shaft in the casing, a gear rotatably supported on the shaftand having teeth on a part of its circumference and tongues projectingfrom one face thereof, a disk of non-conducting material on the shafthaving slots therein, some ofwhich receive the tongues of the gear, acontactor disk on the shaft having tongues extending from one facethereof and. fitting in the other slots of the disk of insulatingmaterial, said disk being located between the gear and the contactordisk, said contactor disk having notches therein arranged in alignmentwith the tongues of the gear for preventing said tongues from contactingthe contactor disk, a pair of arcuate contact strips in the casing, armsextending from the contactor disk for engaging the strips and a manuallyoperated plunger member having a rack portion for engaging the teeth ofthe gear for actuating the parts to move the arms of the contactor diskinto and out of engagement with the strips.

JOHN QUENTIN CUMMJNGS.

